Top 5 VPNs For Mac to use in 2019

The iOS has been leading the market with its robust security features that is unbeatable and hacker-proof, but it’s not like that is free from flaws; there are sources claiming that Apple faces huge security flaws. That is where VPN for Mac indulges in; users have already started searching for the best VPN Mac.

Why I have particularly mentioned “BEST,” because the VPN industry has tremendously penetrated at a mass scale, but sadly, very few are living up their stated claims; don’t worry! We will let you know shortly.

Before we get started, you need to confirm which VPNs are interested to be highly compatible with your favorite Mac device.

Best VPNs for Mac

Choosing a VPN for Mac is a troublesome task, because not all VPN have dedicated apps and even the iOS App Store does not allow the apps to be made available on their store. But considering the VPN trends, the majority of the providers have apps for MacOS.

Before choosing one, do check the given services the usability, otherwise you will end up searching for how to set up a VPN on Mac.

Whichever VPN you will go with, it all ends up to your need of the VPN; only a handful of them unblock streaming websites, while the rest don’t bypass online restrictions.

After careful analysis, we have compiled a list of our favorite recommended yet best Mac VPNs that you can easily connect to remain safe online.

Why we have chosen these VPNs, check out our short description; you will be convinced soon.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a market leader and the best recommended VPN for Mac. Why? This VPN offers fastest speeds operating on 256-bit AES encryption and a transparent no log policy. It provides a Mac app that comes with a split tunneling feature which gives the control in your hand to divert your traffic through the VPN and the usual internet connection.

CyberGhost VPN

To use a VPN on your Mac, CyberGhost offers an easy to use app where you can choose servers according to your pricing plans. It provides more than 3,752 servers and has access to Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer, among others.

NordVPN

Having 5251 servers in 60 countries is a bonus for Mac users as you can choose any server and start attaining anonymity online. It has a clear no-log policy which provides a kill switch, DNS leak protection, anti-DDoS, double-hop VPN, and Tor over VPN.

Through the OpenVPN protocol you will get:

CyberSec

Obfuscated servers

Custom DNS

TCP/UDP protocols

NordVPN has two different apps; one for its website where OpenVPN protocol is used, and one is available on the App Store. This app uses IKEv2 instead of OpenVPN which is a secure protocol.

IPVanish VPN

IPVanish falls last in the list with 1,100+ servers. But don’t go by its name as the security tool offers 256-bit AES encryption along with DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection, kill switch, and traffic obfuscation.

It’s better for torrenting as it has P2P supported servers and a functional configuration of Kodi as well.

Why install a VPN on Mac?

The first thought is to improve your privacy as Mac security extends only till the data that is stored on the system. Once the information (data) is passed on the internet, it is no longer secured by Mac.

The Internet Service Provider ISP, anyone on the internet or a hacker could snatch the data from under your nose without you knowing it online. The information could be used against you in multiple ways such as ISP throttling your bandwidth to restrict P2P file sharing. Or a technical man-in-the-middle attack.

Apart from keeping Mac secure, best Mac VPN is also a tool to access geo-restricted content which is blocked by ISPs. By flipping the ON switch, you can easily connect to a server in the US and access US Netflix library without sharing your location to ISPs and any other mass surveillance agency.

Recommended VPN Protocols For Mac

A VPN protocol is the instructions to negotiate a secure encrypted connection between the two ends. A number of VPN protocols support a number of commercial VPNs, the most notable protocols to be used on a VPN Mac are:

PPTP – The old VPN protocol, securing for years; though supported in MacOS, but not highly recommended.

L2TP –This is implemented with the Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) authentication suite (L2TP/IPsec). It is certainly not secure to protect from NSA but generally regarded as being secure.

IKEv2 – It’s a new yet popular because it is both fast and secure. How secure it is against the NSA, it is still unproven. Apple is a good fan of IKEv2, and MacBook users may prefer it to OpenVPN; thanks to its ability to reconnect when the connection is interrupted.

OpenVPN – It’s an open source and fully audited protocol is regarded as the most secure and versatile VPN protocol, only if implemented well. We highly recommend you to go with OpenVPN whenever possible.

The much-advertised AES-256 is indeed a gold-standard cipher, thanks to all the best VPN for Mac like ExpressVPN for using this protocol.

How To Use a VPN on Mac – Manual Configuration

To make your Mac OS unbreakable and hacker-proof, we recommend the strongest protocol, “OpenVPN.” With Mac, the protocol is not built-in. Instead, you need to configure an OpenVPN client with the help of third party software available on the web.

This requires a manual configuration process that involves individual servers. Having a designated app is a lot easier inclusive of all the OpenVPN servers that have a Kill switch and DNS leak protection as well.

If your Mac VPN app isn’t available on Mac, then you can use the following third party software to configure it.

Built-in VPN support (L2TP)

Tunnelblick (OpenVPN)

Setting Up L2TP VPN Connection Manually

Setting up L2TP/IPSec is a need of an hour because the protocol has built-in support for Mac that doesn’t compromise speed. To configure the protocol, you require to follow the given instructions.

Go to the Apple menu and select System Preferences and choose Network icon

Click on the + in the bottom left to create a new network interface

Choose VPN from the Interface drop-down list

From the list and choose L2TP over IPSec

In the Service Name field, type in the name, anything you like.

Select Create and the VPN settings will appear

Use the default configuration, in the Server Address field and type the VPN server address

Type your VPN account username in the Account Name field

Select the Authentication Settings

Insert the VPN account password in the password

If a shared secret is being used, select Shared Secret and type pre-shared key

Select Certificate and find the VPN provider’s certificate

Save changes by on Apply

Open menu and select System Preferences to launch the Network icon and connect the VPN

Choose the VPN connection in the Network box

Click Connect

Done

Setting Up a VPN with Tunnelblick on a Mac

Tunnelblick is a VPN client recommended for Mac which works with OpenVPN protocol. OpenVPN configuration needs to be set, but the file for each server location you want to connect to, is available through the VPN provider.

Tunnelblick is a free software which once downloaded; double click on the .dmg file and turn on Tunnelblick icon; login on your Mac credentials to further continue with the downloading process and start using it.

Open Tunnelblick and select the button stating “I have configuration files.”

Go on the downloaded folder of your .ovpn files and double-click.

Install the configuration

After the configuration is installed, select the Tunnelblick icon in the top right of your screen and Connect it.

Enter Mac VPN credentials

A Connection established notification will appear and you’re done.

Mac OS VPN Conclusion

You will find an abundance VPN for Mac at your disposal which you can try out without any fuss; if you’ve time. Or else you can try all the given options, they all worth your hard-earned bucks; all those come with a refund policy if you are not satisfied with either of them.

Whichever you choose, make sure the VPN is outside of the five eyes, nine eyes, 14 eyes jurisdiction, so that you can fully trust the VPN provider and it’s log policies to remain hidden and safe on your Mac at all times.

Talal Zuberi

Talal Zuberi is wordsmith by profession and inspires to flourish in digital advertising and marketing as well. He is currently pursing Bachelors degree in advertising and working fulltime as Digital Content Writer at ReviewsDir. Talal is bibliophile who believes that right knowledge can do wonders. Apart from writing Talal loves Photography, listening to music and watching movies.

Comments [3]

I use both, Windows at my office and Mac at my home. But I want to ask which is more secure? However, I use security software for both! I were of the view that Macs are safer because statistically you’re less likely to be infected due to the lower number of viruses built to infect OS X.